I will never forget the week of December 20th, 2015. Little did I know so much would happen in one week & so many emotions would come & go. Your body goes through so many changes as it is creating the beauty of another human life. As for me, that week changed my life forever. It started by noticing how swollen my feet, hands, & face had become. But it all led to finding out I had severe preeclampsia. I spent an entire week in the hospital praying for a miracle, so I could go home & get ready for my little girl to be delivered on her due date (March 13th, 2016). Before I knew things had turned for the worse & December 27th came around. Both our lives were on the line & it was time to meet my little angel.

Its crazy, I was praying for a miracle.... not a roller coaster. Little did I know life in the NICU was the best miracle ever.

The first day i was able to go see my 2 lbs 10 oz baby, I stood by her bed, & immediately ran out to the hallway to cry. I was in shock, a million things ran through my mind... "Will she be ok?", "When will this end?", "Why my baby?".... As the days went by some days were GREAT, other days were hard. It was truly an up & down rollercoaster. Physically I was forced to leave my heart in that NICU, with nurses every night. I would get home & call 2-3 times before going to bed, to make sure her vitals were good, & to make sure she was doing good. Every morning, I would get up & rush to the hospital. I would get there by 8am, & make it a point to leave no earlier than 12am. Leaving her was the hardest part for me. But I knew she was in the best hands possible. I think a lot of the time we fail to give NICU nurses & Doctors the credit they deserve. As a NICU mom I can truly say the Doctors, & Nurses aren't just "Doctors & Nurses", in the NICU they are Psychologists, & Mentors. They truly hold your hand every step of the way, they cry with you, & laugh with you. They become the family you never thought you needed, but you can't live with out. As a single mom during our NICU stay, the NICU staff became my shoulder, & my strength. God placed them there when He knew I would need them the most. Brandon Regional Hospital NICU in Brandon, FL will forever be our family, & our home away from home.

I am forever thankful for this amazing experience of 43 days in the NICU as it taught me Hope, Patience, & the true meaning behind Life & how fragile life is. But how amazing it is to see how strong the tiniest babies are.

Unfortunately, not every story ends like our did. Not all babies make it out, & not all parents get to take their little blessings home. For those we pray daily, & ask God to comfort them & bring them peace.

You see it all in the NICU. No matter what the tiny babies as huge fighters, amazing blessings, & Have amazing hero who look after the 24/7. Thank you NICU Staff!